The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Following the Cumbrian shootings the WHOLE shooting community faced its biggest threat in over a decade, it wasn't just a 'niche' like semi-auto rifles or handguns which the 'I'm alright Jack' brigade could ignore/sacrifice, and yet there was still a LESS THAN 1% response from the whole shooting community. Considering how well publicised the request for shooters to make contributions to that and the amount of hand-holding offered in making those responses, it is no shock to me whatsoever that this petition has only got 13k+ signatures.

IMHO the problems are (in order)

1/ Apathy
2/ Lack of awareness
3/ The average age of a UK shooter being 40-50+ (Generalisation i know but i've found the older a person gets the less they generally give a sh!t. Coupled with a lack of IT literacy)
4/ A significant minority of shooters thinking pistol shooters are/were Walts/nutters etc
5/ A significant majority of sheep believing 4/

Gaz wrote:Thinking out loud at short notice - can we link the petition to the Euro elections and force politicians/wannabes to get onside or lose the shooting vote? Most wannabe Euro MPs have roundly ignored the BASC voting database and this would seem like a good means to flush them out of the woodwork.

Gaz, can it be done? it might be something worth looking into.

Blu

Blackstuff wrote:Following the Cumbrian shootings the WHOLE shooting community faced its biggest threat in over a decade, it wasn't just a 'niche' like semi-auto rifles or handguns which the 'I'm alright Jack' brigade could ignore/sacrifice, and yet there was still a LESS THAN 1% response from the whole shooting community. Considering how well publicised the request for shooters to make contributions to that and the amount of hand-holding offered in making those responses, it is no shock to me whatsoever that this petition has only got 13k+ signatures.

IMHO the problems are (in order)

1/ Apathy
2/ Lack of awareness
3/ The average age of a UK shooter being 40-50+ (Generalisation i know but i've found the older a person gets the less they generally give a sh!t. Coupled with a lack of IT literacy)
4/ A significant minority of shooters thinking pistol shooters are/were Walts/nutters etc
5/ A significant majority of sheep believing 4/

My bold - I'm glad someone else has noticed that, because I've seen the same thing time and again - the older generations simply won't lift a finger to help themselves or others. Which is dangerous when the majority of shooters are drawn from those generations.

How do we kick the greybeards up the arsch and get them positively engaged?

I think such divisive meaningless sweeping generalisations do not help the argument.

I am a "greybeard" and most of my shooting colleagues are "greybeards" also and we are not apathetic or inactive.

The generation split is just as divisive and discriminatory as the Target Rifle Pistol argument.

I just despair, shooters are at fault and the age profile is more older shooters then that just reflects the population.

The discussion needs to be inclusive and encourage all shooters to participate and not create barriers by crass factional attacks.

When you start blaming sections of the shooting constituency then you are creating confrontation from within.

lack of IT literacy

I think this could be a very underated issue, plenty of the (older) members at my club don't even own a computer, let alone know how to use one!

I thought about sticking a paper copy of the petition up on the noticeboard in the clubhouse so that people without computer access/knowledge could also sign it. Maybe if every club in the UK did that we'd get more of a response. But then how would you tie in these handwritten signatures to the online petition?

When you start blaming sections of the shooting constituency then you are creating confrontation from within

Agree with Dromia on this - but we need to try and move past all that (I know for some this will be extremely difficult but we must try).
1. Do you shoot in the UK?
2. Would you like to see the sport grow within the UK?
3. Then support whatever initiative is being forwarded to these ends.
It really should be this simple.

If you can't be asked then the next time you want to have a moan about the latest anti-gun article appearing unchallenged in the press, or the lack of shooting facilities in your area, or prices, legislation, restrictions etc and want to know who to blame, go take a look in the mirror.

Tomo wrote:

lack of IT literacy

I think this could be a very underated issue, plenty of the older members at my club don't even own a computer, let alone know how to use one!

I thought about sticking a paper copy of the petition up on the noticeboard in the clubhouse so that people without computer access/knowledge could also sign it. MAybe if every club in the UK did that we'd get more of a response. But then how would you tie in these handwritten signatures to the online petition?

OK fair enough but I'm sure a lot of those same people have kids or grandchildren who are computer literate so putting it up in clubhouses might not be a bad idea. If they really want to sign it online they'll find a way to do it even if it's on their kids computer with their kids showing them how. Just got to let them know hows it's done or can be done I guess, where there's a will there's a way and all that.

Blu

How about some one takes a tablet or laptop to the club house and get them all to sit down and create a email account for them and get them to sign the petition?

As for Alpha1 he was quick to want every ones help when his full bore shooting range days were threatened by the MOD but to me it seem when it's some one Else's problem he is not interested.


:flag5: zzzzom zzzzom zzzzom

honsu,

How about some one takes a tablet or laptop to the club house and get them all to sit down and create a email account for them and get them to sign the petition?

Good idea there mate again where there's a will there's a way.

Blu

dromia wrote:I think such divisive meaningless sweeping generalisations do not help the argument.

I am a "greybeard" and most of my shooting colleagues are "greybeards" also and we are not apathetic or inactive.

The generation split is just as divisive and discriminatory as the Target Rifle Pistol argument.

I just despair, shooters are at fault and the age profile is more older shooters then that just reflects the population.

The discussion needs to be inclusive and encourage all shooters to participate and not create barriers by crass factional attacks.

When you start blaming sections of the shooting constituency then you are creating confrontation from within.

As i did clearly identify my statement as a generalisation (and MY generalisation based MY first hand experience), i don't think the TR/pistol analogy is fair or relevant. The statement was not made to be divisive or 'discriminatory' (lordy, was this the grey racism card being played?? :lol: ) in any way, I certainly wasn't blaming anyone based solely on age for the poor response to either the HACS committee or pistol petition, but if anyone has taken it that way, please accept my apologies.

It is a fact the majority of shooters are on the downward slope of the hill and IN MY EXPERIENCE older people are less inclined to get wound up and try to do something about a particular situation. There are obviously, exceptions to every rule and in fact the biggest fire-brand shooter i know is 69, but unfortunately he is the exception to the rule, once again, in my experience.

Feeling guilty there Mark? :lol:

Actually my post was in response to gasses not yours.